Extracurriculars

Impressive. Based on discussions with our HS counselor and a friend who is a college president, AOs have gotten wise to students padding their applications with multiple clubs where they showed up for a couple meetings, had no leadership positions, and were only members for a year. What they are looking for is commitment to a sport or activity (ie stuck with it for a long period), advancement or leadership positions (JV to Varsity, team captain, Eagle Scout, etc.), and/or achievement (all-state in a sport, placed at nationals in Science Olympiad, etc.). They also look for maturity and personal responsibility, for example, having a job or taking care of an elderly grandparent.

Based on these criteria, it appears that you are meeting their requirements. I assume that you have stuck with the tennis team, investment club and newspaper throughout your HS career… is this the case? Are you varsity on the tennis team?

Provide more information about your journal. Is it online? What is it circulation? Who is reading it… college professors? Did you just start it, or has it been running for a few years? Is your economics professor providing guidance here? My guess is that you will be applying to either a business or economics program. If you could get some visibility with professors from your target schools that would be helpful, especially if you can have some correspondence with them and build relationships (if impressed, one might make a courtesy call to the AO that puts you over the top).

If you really are deeply involved with all these activities, do not take anything else on. Focus on achieving something within the current clubs or teams, for example getting the research paper published or making varsity in tennis. If you are simply showing up and going through the motions for any activity, drop it and put your energy into the ones you really care about.

Finally, don’t stretch yourself so thin with multiple ECs that your grades suffer.

Good luck to you.

2 Likes